Have you ever cleaned stains from your carpet but only reappeared when you had thought you eliminated them completely? This is what is called carpet wicking.
Carpet wicking is the process of stains reappearing on your carpet days after you clean them. This article explains why carpet wicking happens and what you can do to prevent it.
Why Carpet Wicking Happens After Cleaning
When moisture or cleaning agents move upwards from the base of the carpet fibers, it carries any hidden dirt and soil along with it. Here are some reasons why this may happen to your carpet after cleaning:
- Using too much water when cleaning your carpet
- Using too many cleaning solutions when spot cleaning
- Slower drying process due to poor cleaning technique applied by an inexperienced technician.
- Heavy soil accumulation at the base of your carpet
- High room humidity that results in a slow evaporation
- Deep penetration of spills into your carpet.
How to Prevent Carpet Wicking
- Since carpet wicking only occurs because your carpet did not dry properly, the best way to prevent this from happening is to let your carpet dry completely. After cleaning your carpet, ensure you give it enough time to dry completely and remove all the moisture from its bottom.
- When cleaning a spot, thoroughly rinse the area and dry it. If possible, always address the spills immediately. Using just enough cleaning solution of your choice, rinse and remove as much moisture as possible using wet or dry vacuuming. Go over the area in several rounds after the spill is gone and dry the area using an air mover.
- Avoid using excessive pre-spray than what is required.
- If you think that wicking may occur after spot cleaning your carpet, follow the cleaning process by putting a weighted dry towel on the area to absorb the residue and moisture. You can also use a stain blotter.
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How to Use Stain Blotter to Prevent Carpet Wicking
First, rinse the spot thoroughly and leave it to dry as much as possible by vacuuming the area with several passes. Allow the spot to dry completely after vacuuming and cover the spot with a stain blotter. Sprinkle stain blotter on the area until the powder covers the fibers of the carpet.
Allow the spot to dry and finally vacuum the area to remove the blotter with the soil it has absorbed.
Using Stain Blotter to Remove Spills
Pour the powder onto the spill and spread it gently to let the powder absorb the spill. Cover the spot with an additional two inches of the powder and vacuum to sweep up the powder. Once again, reapply the stain blotter on the spill and allow it to dry. Finally, vacuum to remove the stain along with the soil the blotter has absorbed.
Warning
One most common reason for carpet wicking after cleaning is hiring a carpet cleaning company with little experience and care. Untrained technicians always tend to have the “don’t care” attitude and use too much moisture and cleaning chemicals.
It is important to do your homework before hiring a company for this job. If you are in Oakland, one most trusted carpet cleaning company is Oakland Carpet Cleaning. Always professional and knows how to get the job done.
